Surveying the Asteroid Field (Part 1)
Posted on Thu Jun 7th, 2018 @ 12:19am by Lieutenant Commander Mira Jayde & Lieutenant JG Iona Csira & Captain John Theisman & Lieutenant Commander Jason Smoak & Ael'isha T'vek
1,080 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission: Ghost of a Chance
ON
The bridge Was quiet as John entered, the soft muted conversations of the crew barely audible as he headed to his command chair. It was almost time for the Helios to launch, but he wanted to settle in before the runabout launched. Silently, he hoped nothing exciting would happen. A few days of quiet and boring was just what he needed. "Status of the away team?" he asked.
"Away team launched successfully," Jayde replied. "They are on target for arrival."
"Already?" John asked as he checked the time. The Helios had launched nearly five minutes early. Shaking his head with a chuckle, he grinned. "Val couldn't wait to get away, huh? Do we have a good track on them?"
"So far."
"Very well," John said. "Helm, take us in the opposite direction along the leading edge of the asteroid field, three quarter impulse power."
"Yes, sir."
Jason walked off the turbolift and onto the bridge. He approached his tactical console and unlocked before going through the standard check list.
John glanced up and watched as Smoak sat down at the security and tactical station for a moment before he turned and just as casually watched Jayde for an equal moment of time. He was still curious as to what was the history between the two, but he hadn't gotten around to looking into it yet, although he was also hoping that it would be resolved between them or one of them would eventually tell him. He finally shrugged it out of his mind for the moment and checked the command monitor. The Hyperion was cruising along at nearly full impulse, the sensors were scanning everything in sight, and there didn't seem to be anything happening that would ruin a great day. Yet.
Jayde kept her eyes focused on her readouts. She knew Jason had come onto the bridge, but she was not going to look at him. Captain Theismann already knew she had issues, but she wasn't going to make things worse for Smoak because she was still dealing with his return and what he told her.
"So far, so good," she told the Captain.
"Very good, Commander," John said as he leaned back in his seat. The view screen was set to a forward view, showing the bow of the Hyperion as she eased along the edge of the asteroid field. It was alarming and somehow calming. He was mentally debating on if he should retire to his ready room to tackle the pile of reports and Padds that seemed to grow as if it were a living creature when a soft beeping from operations stopped him. "Got something there, Lieutenant?" he asked Csira.
Iona was looking over the readout on her console. "I'm picking up an energy signature of some kind," she said. "The computer doesn't recognize it, but it's definitely not a natural phenomenon."
Jayde linked the data to the science computers to see if she could get any more information. "Science has nothing on the signature."
"Helm, slow to one quarter and bring us about," John ordered as he leaned forward in his seat. He was starting to regret sending his two senior science officers off the ship, but he was certain that Lieutenant Csira could handle it. "Is it possible to take the ship in for a closer look?"
"Scanning," Jayde said. A closer look would definitely be beneficial.
-- Nearby --
Ael'isha sighed as she lounge sideways in the command seat on her bridge. Around her, the muted sounds of the bridge crew of her flagship were quiet, as usual. She knew that soon they would have to venture from their hiding place for supplies, and just because if they sat still for too long her position might be questioned. Her sisters were always there, eyeing her position as the leader of their exiled house as their own, and she as the oldest wouldn't allow it.
"Lady, we are detecting the sensor signature of a ship. What is your command?" her senior lieutenant spoke, her voice breaking through the usual daylong boredom.
"Is it the Galae?" Ael'isha asked as she sat upright and turned to sit correctly in her chair.
"It is.....Starfleet.....?" the sensors officer reported. A moment later, he nodded. "Confirm, a Starfleet Luna class ship is scanning the asteroid field. If we don't take action, they will detect us in three minutes."
"Lady, we should cloak and hide," her senior lieutenant suggested, taking a single cautious step forward.
"No. Ready the ion guns," Ael'isha ordered. When her officer hesitated, she raised an eyebrow. "I want to capture that ship. There will be supplies, loot, and information on board, and a Federation ship will be an easier target than a ship of the Galae."
Her lieutenant nodded and walked over to the tactical station to relay the order. After a moment, he looked up and nodded. "Two five round salvos prepared, My Lady."
"Fire," Ael'isha ordered.
-- USS Hyperion --
The first sign of trouble the Hyperion had was an energy buildup from inside the asteroid field. Alarms suddenly rang out. Before anyone on the bridge could react, the first five shots fired, blue energy bursts that streaked from out of nowhere and slammed into the Hyperion. The first three shots slammed into the shields, overloading the matrix generators and shutting them down. The forth shot overloaded the secondary generator and the fifth slammed into the ship's hull, overloaded and shutting down several systems.
"Captain, Romulan ship detected coming out of the asteroid field, reading one Venator class warbird!"
John blinked, his mind confused but he shook it off. "Tactical, arm phasers and lock on to their weapons and engines. Helm, full reverse, get us away from the asteroid field," he ordered, trying to appear calm.
Jason tapped on his console. "Phasers and Shield power is fluctuating."
"Energy buildup! They're firing!"
The Venator class warbird fired again, another five bursts of crackling blue energy that struck the Hyperion, this time unchallenged by the cruiser's shields. The Hyperion's systems began to loose power, mostly the ship's weapons and engine systems. On the bridge, John frowned at his suddenly unresponsive ship. Life support was still working, as well the comms. "Jayde, send a wide broadcast distress signal across all channels," he said.
(To be continued...)
Captain John Theismann
Commanding Officer
Lieutenant Commander Mira Jayde
Executive Officer
Lieutenant Commander Jason Smoak
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
Lieutenant JG Iona Czira
Communications
Ael'isha T'vek
Romulan Commander
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